Latest news with #OmarAl-Najjar
Perth Now
7 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
Crush at Gaza food hub kills 20 as crowd panics
Twenty Palestinians have been killed at a food distribution centre run by an Israeli-backed American organisation in the Gaza Strip, mostly from being trampled. They were the first deaths reported at one of the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) sites, although hundreds have been killed by Israeli forces on the roads leading to them, according to witnesses and health officials. Gaza's Health Ministry and witnesses said GHF workers used tear gas against the crowd outside one of its food distribution hubs, causing a panic. The ministry said that it was the first time people have been killed by a stampede at the aid sites. Some witnesses said the crowd panicked after receiving messages that no aid would be distributed or would only be distributed later. "They used stun grenades and pepper spray against us. They had aid inside, but they intentionally did not distribute it to let people crowd outside," said Abdullah Aleyat, who was at the GHF site on Wednesday morning. Omar Al-Najjar, a resident of the nearby city of Rafah, said people were gasping for air, possibly from tear gas. The injuries were "not from gunfire, but from people clustering and pushing against each other," Al-Najjar said. The UN human rights office and Gaza's Health Ministry said that 875 Palestinians in the enclave have been killed while seeking food since May, with 674 of those in the vicinity of aid distribution sites run by GHF. Israeli strikes across Gaza on Wednesday killed at least 54 others, including 14 children, according to hospital officials. Meanwhile in Syria, government officials and leaders in the Druze religious minority announced a renewed ceasefire late on Wednesday after days of clashes that have threatened to unravel the country's postwar political transition and drawn escalated military intervention from neighbouring Israel. UNICEF says the world has failed Gaza's children with more than 17,000 killed and 33,000 wounded in the ongoing war. UNICEF's executive director Catherine Russell told the UN Security Council the territory's one million children have faced immense suffering. An average of 28 children die daily in Gaza, "a whole classroom of children killed every day for nearly two years", she said. Malnutrition has surged, with nearly 6000 children acutely malnourished in June, a 180 per cent increase since February, she said. UNICEF warns these children will face lifelong impacts. Food supplies are running out and civilians are being shot while seeking something to eat, Undersecretary-General Tom Fletcher said. "Civilians are exposed to death and injury, forcible displacement, stripped of dignity," he told the UN Security Council, emphasising Israel's obligation under the Geneva Conventions to provide food and medical aid as the occupying power in Gaza. He also challenged the council to consider whether Israel's rules of engagement incorporate all the precautions to avoid and minimise civilian casualties. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric also described people being severely injured at the US-run GHF sites. He told reporters the UN Population Fund that reports of domestic violence, sexual exploitation and abuse were on the rise and "pregnant women are delivering their babies in the dark, with no electricity or no skilled care to address potential complications". Additionally, a survey by one of the UN's partners found that more than 80 per cent of people with disabilities have lost wheelchairs, hearing aids, walkers and many other devices during the war in Gaza, Dujarric said. Meanwhile, a key governing partner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is quitting the government, leaving him with a minority in parliament. The Shas ultra-Orthodox party said it was leaving over disagreements surrounding a proposed law meant to grant wide military draft exemptions to its constituents. A second ultra-Orthodox party quit earlier this week over the same issue. The political turmoil comes as Israel and Hamas are negotiating on a US-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza.
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Devastating stampede at Gaza aid hub ‘sees 19 Palestinians trampled to death'
As many as 19 people were trampled on Wednesday with another fatally stabbed in violence at the site, according to the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation A devastating stampede at an aid hub in war-torn Gaza is said to have left 19 Palestinians trampled to death. The tragedy came after the UN earlier recorded almost 900 'desperate and hungry Gazans' have been killed in the stricken enclave seeking food in recent weeks. As many as 19 people were trampled on Wednesday with another fatally stabbed in violence at the site, according to the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). It comes as Israeli strikes killed 41 others, including 11 kids, according to hospital officials. GHF, whose operations have stoked controversy with over 170 charities and other NGOs calling for it to be shut, accused militant group Hamas of fomenting panic and spreading misinformation leading to the violence. It marks the first time the Israeli-backed US group has acknowledged deadly violence at its operations. GHF workers used tear gas against the crowd, inciting a panic, Gaza's Health Ministry and witnesses claimed. The incident occurred at a distribution hub in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The crowd panicked after receiving messages that no aid would be distributed or would only be given out later, some witnesses said. And others said people became trapped while trying to move through a turnstile system, which creates a bottleneck. A resident of the nearby city of Rafah said people were gasping for air, possibly from tear gas. The injuries were "not from gunfire, but from people clustering and pushing against each other," Omar Al-Najjar said as he carried, with three other men, an injured stranger to a hospital. He said the chaos at the sites is forcing Palestinians to "march towards death." "They used stun grenades and pepper spray against us," Abdullah Aleyat, who was at the GHF site on Wednesday morning, said. "When they saw people killing each other, they opened the gate and people stepped over each other and suffocated," Aleyat explained, standing in a hospital room with some of the injured. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 22 people in Gaza City, including 11 children and three women, and 19 others in Khan Younis. The Israeli military said it had struck over 120 targets in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip, including Hamas military infrastructure of tunnels and weapons storage facilities. On Tuesday, the UN disclosed figures showing its recorded death toll for Palestinians seeking food since May. 'As of 13 July, we have recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food; 674 of them were killed in the vicinity of GHF sites,' Thameen Al-Kheetan, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said. And the other 201 were killed seeking food 'on the routes of aid convoys or near aid convoys' run by the UN or its partners still operating in Gaza, the spokesperson explained. Claims emerged last month that Israeli troops deliberately fired at Palestinians near aid sites in Gaza. It was alleged troops were ordered to shoot at crowds despite posing no threat. But Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister, Israel Katz, rejected respected Israeli newspaper Haaretz's report. On Wednesday, the Israeli military announced the opening of a fourth corridor – bisecting the city of Khan Younis – where troops have seized land in what they said is a pressure tactic against Hamas. Last week, US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu held two days of talks ending with no sign of a breakthrough in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release. The war was sparked by Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel in 2023, which killed about 1,200 people – with 251 hostages taken. Israel's offensive has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Global News
16-07-2025
- Health
- Global News
20 Palestinians killed in Gaza aid site stampede, Israel-backed group says
Twenty Palestinians were killed Wednesday in the crush of a crowd at a food distribution site run by an Israeli-backed American organization in the Gaza Strip, the group said, the first time it has acknowledged deadly violence at its operations. The deaths came as Israeli strikes killed 41 others, including 11 children, according to hospital officials. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund accused the Hamas militant group of fomenting panic and spreading misinformation that led to the violence, though it provided no evidence to support the claim. It said 19 people were trampled in a stampede and one person was fatally stabbed at a hub in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. Gaza's Health Ministry and witnesses said GHF workers used tear gas against the crowd, inciting a panic. The ministry said that it was the first time people have been killed by a stampede at the aid sites. It was also the first time that GHF has confirmed deaths at one of its distribution sites, although Palestinian witnesses, health officials and U.N. agencies say hundreds of people have been killed while heading to the hubs to get food. Story continues below advertisement Stun grenades and pepper spray caused chaos, witnesses say Some witnesses said the crowd panicked after receiving messages that no aid would be distributed or would only be distributed later. Others said people became trapped while attempting to move through a turnstile system, which creates a bottleneck. Omar Al-Najjar, a resident of the nearby city of Rafah, said people were gasping for air, possibly from tear gas. The injuries were 'not from gunfire, but from people clustering and pushing against each other,' Al-Najjar said as he carried, with three other men, an injured stranger to a hospital. He said the chaos at the sites is forcing Palestinians to 'march towards death.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'They used stun grenades and pepper spray against us,' said Abdullah Aleyat, who was at the GHF site on Wednesday morning. 'When they saw people killing each other, they opened the gate and people stepped over each other and suffocated,' Aleyat said, as he stood in a hospital room with some of the injured. Videos released earlier this year by GHF from an aid distribution showed hundreds of Palestinians jostling for aid, and sprinting towards the sites when they opened. In other videos obtained recently by The Associated Press from an American contractor working with GHF, Palestinians seeking access to the sites are pictured crowded between metal fences, as contractors deploy tear gas and stun grenades. Story continues below advertisement The sites are inside Israeli military zones protected by private American contractors. Israel troops surround the sites, but the army says they are not in the immediate vicinity. 1:20 Israel, Netanyahu carrying out 'greatest genocide this century': Spanish PM The United Nations human rights office and Gaza's Health Ministry said Tuesday that 875 Palestinians in the enclave have been killed while seeking food since May, with 674 of those in the vicinity of aid distribution sites run by GHF. The ministry and witnesses say most of the deaths have come from Israeli gunfire. The Israeli army says it fires warning shots and only uses live fire if crowds threaten its soldiers. GHF, an American organization registered in Delaware, was established in February to distribute aid during the ongoing Gaza humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 22 people in Gaza City, including 11 children and three women, and 19 others in Khan Younis. The Israeli military said it has struck more than 120 targets in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip, including Hamas military infrastructure of tunnels and weapons storage facilities. Story continues below advertisement Israel blames Hamas for the civilian deaths because the group often operates in residential areas. Also on Wednesday, the Israeli military announced the opening of a new corridor — the fourth — that bisects Khan Younis, where Israeli troops have seized land in what they said is a pressure tactic against Hamas. In the past, these narrow strips of land have been a serious hurdle during ceasefire negotiations, as Israel has said it wants to maintain military presence in them. Negotiations in the Qatari capital between Israel and Hamas are at a standstill, after 21 months of conflict, which began with the militants' cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. That day, militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Fifty hostages are still being held, less than half of them believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government. The United Nations and other international organizations consider its figures to be the most reliable count of casualties.
Euronews
16-07-2025
- Euronews
At least 20 killed in stampede at aid site in Gaza, US group says
At least 20 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday in a crush at a food distribution site run by an Israeli-backed US organisation in Gaza, the group said, the first time it has acknowledged deadly violence at its operations. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) accused the Hamas militant group of fomenting panic and spreading misinformation that led to the violence, though it provided no evidence to support the claim. It said 19 people were trampled in a stampede and one person was fatally stabbed at a hub in the southern city of Khan Younis. In turn, Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry and witnesses pushed back against GHF, claiming workers used tear gas against the crowd, after which chaos ensued. It was the first time that GHF has confirmed deaths at one of its distribution sites, although witnesses, hospitals and UN agencies say hundreds of people have been killed while heading to the hubs to get food. Stun grenades and pepper spray Some witnesses said the crowd panicked after receiving messages that no aid would be distributed or would be distributed later. Others said people became trapped while attempting to move through a turnstile system, which created a bottleneck. Omar Al-Najjar, a resident of the nearby city of Rafah, said people were gasping for air, possibly after inhaling tear gas. The injuries were "not from gunfire, but from people clustering and pushing against each other," Al-Najjar said as he carried an injured stranger to a hospital, together with three other men, AP reported. "They used stun grenades and pepper spray against us," said Abdullah Aleyat, who was at the GHF site on Wednesday morning. "When they saw people killing each other, they opened the gate and people stepped over each other and suffocated," Aleyat said. Videos released earlier this year by GHF from an aid distribution showed hundreds of Palestinians jostling for aid and sprinting towards the sites when they opened. In other videos obtained recently by the AP from a US contractor working with GHF, Palestinians seeking access to the sites are pictured crowded between metal fences, as contractors deploy tear gas and stun grenades. The sites are inside Israeli military zones protected by private US contractors. Israeli troops surround the sites, but the army says they are not in the immediate vicinity. The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday that 875 Palestinians in the enclave have been killed while seeking food since May, with 674 of those in the vicinity of aid distribution sites run by GHF. While claims were made that some of the deaths have been caused by Israeli gunfire, the Israeli army said it fires warning shots and only uses live fire if crowds threaten its soldiers. GHF, a US organisation registered in Delaware, was established in February to distribute aid during the ongoing Gaza humanitarian crisis. Israel opens new military corridor Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 22 people in Gaza City, including 11 children and three women, and 19 others in Khan Younis, according to hospital officials. The Israeli military said it has struck more than 120 targets in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip, including Hamas military infrastructure, such as tunnels and weapons storage facilities. Also on Wednesday, the Israeli military announced the opening of a new corridor, the fourth, that bisects Khan Younis, where Israeli troops have seized land in what they said is a pressure tactic against Hamas. In the past, these narrow strips of land have been a serious hurdle during ceasefire negotiations, as Israel has said it wants to maintain military presence in them. Negotiations in the Qatari capital between Israel and Hamas are at a standstill, after 21 months of war, which began with the Hamas-led cross-border attack on 7 October 2023. That day, militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people. Fifty hostages are still being held, fewer than half of them believed to be alive. A subsequent Israeli offensive has to date killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, whose figures do not distinguish between fighters and civilians. The Israeli military says nearly 900 of its soldiers have died since the start of the war.
Nahar Net
16-07-2025
- Health
- Nahar Net
20 Palestinians killed at Gaza aid distribution site
by Naharnet Newsdesk 16 July 2025, 14:15 Twenty Palestinians were killed Wednesday in the crush of a crowd at a food distribution site run by an Israeli-backed American organization in the Gaza Strip, the group said, the first time it has acknowledged deadly violence at its operations. The deaths came as Israeli strikes killed 41 others, including 11 children, according to hospital officials. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund accused the Hamas militant group of fomenting panic and spreading misinformation that led to the violence, though it provided no evidence to support the claim. It said 19 people were trampled in a stampede and one person was fatally stabbed at a hub in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. Gaza's Health Ministry and witnesses said GHF workers used tear gas against the crowd, inciting a panic. The ministry said that it was the first time people have been killed by a stampede at the aid sites. It was also the first time that GHF has confirmed deaths at one of its distribution sites, although Palestinian witnesses, health officials and U.N. agencies say hundreds of people have been killed while heading to the hubs to get food. Stun grenades and pepper spray caused chaos, witnesses say Some witnesses said the crowd panicked after receiving messages that no aid would be distributed or would only be distributed later. Others said people became trapped while attempting to move through a turnstile system, which creates a bottleneck. Omar Al-Najjar, a resident of the nearby city of Rafah, said people were gasping for air, possibly from tear gas. The injuries were "not from gunfire, but from people clustering and pushing against each other," Al-Najjar said as he carried, with three other men, an injured stranger to a hospital. He said the chaos at the sites is forcing Palestinians to "march towards death." "They used stun grenades and pepper spray against us," said Abdullah Aleyat, who was at the GHF site on Wednesday morning. "When they saw people killing each other, they opened the gate and people stepped over each other and suffocated," Aleyat said, as he stood in a hospital room with some of the injured. Videos released earlier this year by GHF from an aid distribution showed hundreds of Palestinians jostling for aid, and sprinting towards the sites when they opened. In other videos obtained recently by The Associated Press from an American contractor working with GHF, Palestinians seeking access to the sites are pictured crowded between metal fences, as contractors deploy tear gas and stun grenades. The sites are inside Israeli military zones protected by private American contractors. Israel troops surround the sites, but the army says they are not in the immediate vicinity. The United Nations human rights office and Gaza's Health Ministry said Tuesday that 875 Palestinians in the enclave have been killed while seeking food since May, with 674 of those in the vicinity of aid distribution sites run by GHF. The ministry and witnesses say most of the deaths have come from Israeli gunfire. The Israeli army says it fires warning shots and only uses live fire if crowds threaten its soldiers. GHF, an American organization registered in Delaware, was established in February to distribute aid during the ongoing Gaza humanitarian crisis. Across Gaza, strikes kill 41 as Israel opens a new military corridor Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 22 people in Gaza City, including 11 children and three women, and 19 others in Khan Younis. The Israeli military said it has struck more than 120 targets in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip, including Hamas military infrastructure of tunnels and weapons storage facilities. Israel blames Hamas for the civilian deaths because the group often operates in residential areas. Also on Wednesday, the Israeli military announced the opening of a new corridor — the fourth — that bisects Khan Younis, where Israeli troops have seized land in what they said is a pressure tactic against Hamas. In the past, these narrow strips of land have been a serious hurdle during ceasefire negotiations, as Israel has said it wants to maintain military presence in them. Negotiations in the Qatari capital between Israel and Hamas are at a standstill, after 21 months of war, which began with the militants' cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. That day, militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Fifty hostages are still being held, less than half of them believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government. The United Nations and other international organizations consider its figures to be the most reliable count of war casualties.
